Sports Balls with tracker

ABSTRACT

The present invention is a device and system for a new type of sport ball or gadget ball that turns various basketballs or other athletic balls into smart products. The ball will have internal mechanisms that are digital in nature and will help translate information about the ball and/or its position in space to referees or officials. The current invention is a ball that can be used in team play and multiple game modes for recording play by play actions between players and teams.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS (IF ANY)

None

BACKGROUND 1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a sports ball device in particular, a ball thatcan be used to track a sporting events.

2. Description of Prior Art

Sports are very big in the United States, from little league all the wayto the pros. Since the beginning, people have been looking for betterways to train for and keep track of a game, some way to automaticallytrack the ball being used.

Sports franchising in the US is a large and regularly growing industrywith over 860 businesses or franchises active in the industry each year.These franchises or businesses consist of those that are in major leaguebaseball, the NFL, the NBA, as well as minor-league teams, which supportthese larger industries.

The keeping of statistics and reporting them as well as assistance inofficiating is still needed in sports. Especially give the large amountof sports participation.

There is still room for improvement in the art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a device and system for a new type of sportball or gadget ball that turns various basketballs or other athleticballs into smart products.

The objective is to have a ball with internal mechanisms that aredigital in nature and will help translate information about the balland/or its position in space to referees or officials.

Another objective is to improve team accuracy as well as gameofficiating.

The current invention is a ball that can be used in team play andmultiple game modes for recording play by play actions between playersand teams. This includes steals, turnovers, time of possession andscore. These stats can be recorded using the ball and one or moresensors like wristband/fingerband that can be attached to each player.These statistics can be shared on all social network platforms.

The current invention is more efficient, effective, accurate andfunctional than the current art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Without restricting the full scope of this invention, the preferred formof this invention is illustrated in the following drawings:

FIG. 1 shows the current invention and its main components;

FIG. 2 shows sensors on a playing field;

FIG. 3 displays sensors on a player's wrist;

FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of the start of a game; and

FIG. 5 displays a flowchart of the application tracking a game.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

There are a number of significant design features and improvementsincorporated within the invention.

The present invention is a device and system for a new type of sportball or gadget ball that turns various basketballs or other athleticballs into smart products. The device, as shown if FIG. 1, is a sportsball with a electronic tracking and signing unit 5 that is within theball 10. Any type of sports ball can be used, such as a basketball,football, soccer ball, volley ball or even a golf ball. The system wouldeven work well with a hockey puck.

The smart ball's design features are that it is has a node the uses longlasting battery support and low energy components for maximum longevityand has wireless connectivity such as a bluetooth which allows it tocontact to the sensors 50 as well as a smartphone 30 or computer device40. It would have a durable rubberized outer shell with inner cage forsupport for an inflated ball like a basketball or football. It is designto be the proper certified game size and weight, regulation standard forbasketball.

The object will have internal mechanisms that are digital in nature andwill help translate information about the ball 10 and/or its position inspace. This information can go to a computering device such as asmartphone 30 or computer 40 and to referees or officials. The objectthen of the ball is to improve team accuracy as well as gameofficiating.

The smart ball 10 can be used in team play and multiple game modes forrecording play by actions between players and teams. Statistics such assteals, turnovers, time of possession, score—these stats can be recordedusing the cyber-ball/gadget ball/smart ball and one or more sensors 50.These sensors 50 can be placed on or worn by the players 60 and would beplace around the field or court (depending on the sport being played) ina grid pattern as shown in FIG. 2 for a football field. The sensors 50can be worn by the players 60 like wristband or fingerbands that can beattached to each player 60 or even woven into a player's uniform asshown in FIG. 3. Each player 60 would have a unique identifier assignedto their node 10 so that the player 60 can be easily identified by thesystem. The players' sensors and wristbands can even display their statsfor the players to review.

The ball 10 and the sensor 60 will send out signals to a receivingdevice 70. The receiving device 70 can be a computering device such as acomputer 40 or smartphone 30. Using a programming application the isstored in non-transitory memory and run on the computing deviceinformation about the game can be received and computed using thelocation of the ball 10 and the players 60 as well as programmedinformation about the rules of the game that is being played.

For example, the sensors 50 can placed on the rim of the basketballcourt to measure if a shot goes in and whether or not it is a threepoint shot by measuring the distance the shot was from the basket andthe trajectory of the ball as it was shot. In football, the system couldtell if someone crosses the goal line even if that person cannot be seenby instance replay using sensors at the goal line. In soccer, it cantell if a player is offsides by seeing if the attacker is in front ofthe ball and the defenders. In baseball, the system can call strikes andballs with properly placed sensors.

They system will calculate and keeps teams and players' stats which canbe available in real time.

Operations:

In the preferred embodiment, the user would hit or start bouncing theball 10 to activate the Bluetooth censor. It would sync up with thesensors 50 and with the computering device to track the game and theball 10 movements. It would compile the statistics based on the gamebeing played, its rules and the actions of the ball 10. It would go intosuspend mode or turn itself off after a set time of inactivity.

As shown in FIG. 4, the program computer application (app) stored innon-transitory memory is started 110. Next the type of game is selected120 and whether or not it is a team game 130, 140. The rules of the gameare loaded into the system and the names of the players are stored withtheir unique sensors. The game is started. The application keeps trackof the game's play-by-play. The games' statistics are available fordisplay while the game is ongoing and after it ends. The applicationends when the game is over.

FIG. 5 displays a sample process for a game. In this example, it is asolo basketball game to the score of 32 points. It starts 200 and seesif the player has the ball 210 based on the unit 5 and the unique sensor50 assigned to the player 60. Does the player 60 turns the ball over 210or shoot the ball 215. If the player 50 turns the ball over, theplayer's time of possession is recorded 220, the play is recorded as aturnover 221 and as a steal 222. The data is stored 240. If it is a shot215, the time of possession is recorded 217. If it goes in 216 itrecords the score for either 2 points or 3 points 230 and the data isstored 240. If it doesn't go in 218 the player 60 misses the shot 235and it goes back to start 200. After the data is stored 240, theapplication will check to see if either player has reached a score ofthirty-two 250. If yes, 252 then the games ends 260. If no 251, then itsees if the player 60 has the ball 205.

Advantages

The invention allows stats that can be viewed using the application andshared across social networks. The system is more affordable thansimilar products in the market. It can keep score and other valuablestats that can be used strategically and can track a game with a Livefeed, displaying in words play-by-play what is going on. The informationprovided by the system and ball can provide useful information to helpreferees in a game, such as determining who last touched the ball inhard to determine situations or if a player was offsides in football orsoccer. It even allows players in pick-up games or games with noreferees or stat keepers track their own stats in the gym and keepsgames accurate.

Although the present invention has been described in considerable detailwith reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions arepossible. Therefore, the point and scope of the appended claims shouldnot be limited to the description of the preferred versions containedherein.

As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of thepresent invention, the same should be apparent from the abovedescription. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the mannerof usage and operation will be provided. With respect to the abovedescription, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensionalrelationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations insize, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assemblyand use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in theart, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in thedrawings and described in the specification are intended to beencompassed by the present invention.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of theprinciples of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications andchanges will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is notdesired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operationshown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications andequivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of theinvention.

That which is claimed is:
 1. A device comprising: a ball with a nodewith a communication function.
 2. The device as recited in claim 1,further comprising: where the communication function is bluetooth. 3.The device as recited in claim 1, further comprising: where the ballcommunicates with a plurality of sensors.
 4. The device as recited inclaim 3, further comprising: where a plurality of sensors are worn by aplayer.
 5. The device as recited in claim 4, further comprising: whereeach player has a plurality of sensors.
 6. The device as recited inclaim 4, further comprising: where the sensors are unique to thatplayer.
 7. The device as recited in claim 5, further comprising: wherethe sensors are unique to each player.
 8. The device as recited in claim1, further comprising: where the ball communicates data to a computerdevice.
 9. The device as recited in claim 8, further comprising: wherethe data is the location of the ball.
 10. The device as recited in claim8, further comprising: where the data about the game.
 11. The device asrecited in claim 8, further comprising: where computering devicecommunicates with a plurality of sensors.
 12. The device as recited inclaim 8, further comprising: where computering device has data innon-transitory memory about the rules of the game.
 13. The device asrecited in claim 12, further comprising: comparing the rules of the gameagainst the movement and location of the ball and sensors.
 14. Thedevice as recited in claim 13, further comprising: calculatingstatistics and scores based on the data received.
 15. The device asrecited in claim 1, further comprising: having the ball be one of a setof a basketball, football, soccer ball, volley ball, golf ball or hockeypuck.
 16. A device comprising: a ball with a node with a communicationfunction where the communication function is bluetooth where the ballcommunicates with a plurality of sensors.
 17. The device as recited inclaim 16, further comprising: where a plurality of sensors are worn by aplayer.
 18. The device as recited in claim 17, further comprising: wherethe sensors are unique to that player.
 19. The device as recited inclaim 1, further comprising: where the ball communicates data to acomputer device.